Through the Rabbit Hole, Sideways
by macgyvershe
Summary: To save John, Sherlock places him in his Mind Palace. John goes where no man will ever go, but is it safe? John meets Blue (baby Sherlock), Black Beard (10 year old Sherlock) and Sherly (16 year old Sherlock). What a strange weird trip it becomes.


**Through the Rabbit Hole, Sideways**

In the dense fog, Sherlock grabbed John by the hand and pulled him along, the fog allowing only a quarter meter of visibility.

"Where are we, Sherlock?" John startled as Sherlock pulled him further into oblivion. John couldn't remember where he was or how he had got here.

"Just a few more meters, John, come." Sherlock tugged harder.

The fog dissipates a little and a dynamic structure takes up the whole horizon, or what John could see of it. Massive stained glass doors come into view at the entrance to building that mades the Taj Mahal look like an ant hill. Upon the massive doors a luminous wind tossed sea meets a rugged shoreline and above everything are imagined constellations moving in swirls that Van Gogh would have appreciated. Everywhere there were mathematical equations, words and pictures frolicked across the glass like cold electricity.

"Where the hell," John doesn't finish his statement as he looks closely at the Sherlock that stands in front of him and nearly falls backwards. This Sherlock was just as tall, but he was sixteen or seventeen years old. His long black curly hair was well past his shoulders and pulled back into a pony tail. He was so very thin. John had thought his Sherlock thin, but this younger version was painful so.

John grabs for one of the massive over-sized wooden door handles and holds onto it to steady himself.

"Its okay, John. May I call you John? I assume that whatever privileges that you grant my adult self, we call him the old man here, are therefore relevant to me? You can call me Sherly," he says. He had Sherlock's voice only the baritone was not quite there yet, but the piercing eyes that held a laser precision were just the same. The only difference being that his younger version had a rakish appearance and attitude, with a wicked little crooked smile that lent itself to youthful enthusiasm.

"Yeah, okay, you can call me John. Now can you explain to me what's happened, where am I and why I'm talking to a younger version of Sherlock Holmes?"

"Let me assure you first that you are safe and that you are here at your Sherlock's behest. He gave a theatrical flourish with his outstretched arm and snapped his fingers. "John, I give you my Mind Palace." The doors glided open as Sherly bowed John in.

"You are with your Sherlock, coming back from Devonshire. There you were exposed to an aerosol chemical agent that causes high mental suggestibility. It was thought that you had excreted this agent out completely, you have not. On your way back to London, symptoms began to arise. Your Sherlock thought it best to put you in an environment that would in no way cause you distress. Are you following me?" The younger man moved into the palace and as he moved through the mass of information, it all ordered itself and flowed around him like trained water.

"So how did I get here? This isn't magic. I know Sherlock he's no magician."

"Funny you should say that." Sherlly said. "Your Sherlock hypnotized you. In your highly suggestive state he is feeding you the information you need to be here. He is talking to your right now. Everything here is happening real time. You are in the Thought Palace of his creation, with me."

"Why isn't he here?"

"Frankly, because I asked him if I could be your guide. I hope you are not disappointed? You are privileged to be the only person ever to gain access to what is inside the Palace."

John found himself walking by the side of his young companion as they moved further into the main foyer.

"So currently my Sherlock is driving us back to London?"

"Yes."

"And my mind is being lead through his thought palace by his teenage self."

"Clearly." The youngster said much as his older self would answer.

"Okay and why is it that you wanted to guide me?" John was very interested in this answer.

"I have seen you from in here. All thoughts and experiences filter through instantaneously. I wanted to meet you in person. I have never had a friend before and the whole experience is quite fascinating to me."

_Yes_, John thinks, _you are even the great observationist here in your own palace._

"And are there other Sherlock's lurking about?"

"Blue is an infant before speech was acquired, Black Beard is about 10 or so years old, but it is I who was the most interested in being with you."

John blinked and cleared his throat; he was trying desperately not to laugh at himself. He was either stark raving or just a tad sideways into the rabbit hole that Alice had fallen into.

"I know that this is a great deal to assimilate in a short span of time, but believe me you are totally safe here. I would like to take this time together to become acquainted with you as you are to have complete access to the whole of the Palace, though I doubt that you will have enough time to review more than a fraction of its inner contents."

"Sherlock says to 'buckle up'," Shely says with a smile that would charm the birds out of the sky.

John had recently introduced Sherlock to the new Star Trek movie and Chris Pine's take on the space cowboy, Captain Kirk had stuck with him. He used that phase on John frequently now. This teen Sherlock was certainly different from what he expected.

"I have so many questions," John said as he moved where no man would ever go.

(-_-)

John found himself at the bottom of a pile of young Sherlock's. Black Beard who had a wonderfully artist black beard painted on his angelic face and Sherly who was being unusually playful for a daunting teenager. Everyone was laughing and giggling and John finally begged for mercy.

"Enough, I've had enough," with great care he lifted the Black Beard off of him and set him gently on the ground. The time spent in the Mind Palace had passed too quickly. All the Sherlock's that inhabited this wondrous place had eventually come to him and his investigation had turned into playtime at the palace.

He sat there trying to catch his breath and recover from the strenuous attention of young boys. Having been the only son in a family of girls, it was great fun and something he was so unaccustomed to.

Then out of nowhere a tiny baby sits in his lap. John is used to the workings of the Palace and knows that this is the youngest of the Sherlock's. With great care John lifts up the infant with huge electric blue eyes. The child smiles and John is enraptured.

"Well that makes it unanimous," Sherly says as he lifted the infant from John's arms. "We all want you to come back and visit us when you have time."

"I don't think that will be possible, I don't have access to the gas that caused all this to happen in the first place, Sherly."

"You don't need the gas anymore. The Old Man can put you into a trance anytime you'd care to and you can come here with his vocal guidance. We want you to come back and I promise that next time we'll give you the grand tour," Sherly spoke for his brethren.

"Then I promise to return as soon as I possibly can," John says smiling at his best friend in his many different ages. "I promise." John started to fade away and the many Sherlock's all said 'good-bye' in their own way

"John," Sherlock looked upon his only friend, "I never knew you were such a child magnet as well as a lady killer." Sherlock gave him a sardonic grin.

"You're totally okay with this," John asked?

"Clearly," Sherlock said as he helped his only friend get out of the Land Rover.

**(-_-)**

John lay down on the couch, assuming a comfortable position. Sherlock sat primly on the coffee table next to him smiling. Their relationship had changed since John now made frequent trips into his Mind Palace where John interacted with Sherlock at different ages of his life. Their bond now was even stronger and more loving. Not that it was demonstrated to the real world in any way; only that it was felt on levels that hadn't been there before.

"Ready?" Sherlock always made sure these trips were completely voluntary.

"Yes," John closed his midnight blue eyes and waited for Sherlock's touch.

Sherlock made a semi circle in John's left palm-this was a predetermined signal that unlocked the key to John's mind and opened the door to a powerful hypnotic trance that brought John into the Thought Palace.

John opened his eyes in his bedroom. It was as big as the entire flat. He'd found out that soon after they met, Sherlock had build this room for him. Did he know that John would be coming here? He sat up and Blue materialized in his lap. Blue was an intensely exotic creature. The extra large electric blue eyes overpowered his tiny face and those eyes captured you with their intensity. John slowly lifted the child, cradling him in loving arms. The child made little noises and John was content to be an observer of the miracle that was the very youngest Sherlock in the Palace.

"You know he won't let any of us hold him very long, independent little tadpole," Sherly said. He sat on the far corner of John's bed and watched as John cradled the infant. "He likes you because you're strong with just the right amount of gentle."

"Can you read his mind," John queried?

"It's all the same mind, John. Remember?"

"Yes, of course, this is all so new to me Sherly that I forget sometimes. Ouch."

Blue had bitten down on one of John's fingers.

"Is he teething?" John removed all appendages from the child's reach.

"No, we all pretty much stay the same. He just likes to bite sometimes. He's all about the senses you know. He says you taste salty-sweet, he likes that."

"Well, there will be no more tasting, thank you very much."

The infant faded away.

"I didn't hurt his feelings did I?" John swung his legs off the bed and stood.

"Nope, he just gets bored, just like the Old Man." John thought it wasn't too much past the truth.

"What would you like to see?" Sherly was his main guide in the Palace.

"We've been about the main core; where everything originates. Question; Sherlock says he deletes things, is that true?"

"Hey, John, this is the Old Man we are talking about. He's a miser with information. Items he's not using go into storage down into the subterraneous areas or up in the cloud compartments."

"That's a great deal of storage." John said curiously.

"You have no idea and access is just a thought away."

That was the one nice thing about the Thought Palace. Movement within it was easy. You thought it, you were there.

"Have you ever found the boundaries of the Palace?"

"It's impossible to say; the Old Man comes in frequently to reorder things, but he's constantly adding new wings, bigger rooms, it just keeps us on our toes trying to keep up."

"So you are all constantly entertained?"

"24/7, there is always something new." Sherly touched John's sleeve as they moved together through the Palace. To travel together to the exact same place there has to be contact.

"And when he's working on a case, do you watch what's happening?"

"I'm more concerned with the real world. Blue and Black Beard are more into their own little worlds."

Black Beard is mostly off in his pirate world and only drops in occasionally to chat John up when he visits.

"Where do you hang out to view the outside world?" John put his hand out.

Sherly touches John's hand instantaneously they were both in a really large space which has 360 degree wall space with mirror windows out into the real world.

"View," Sherly says and all the mirrors come to life showing different elements. "To the right are different thought patterns. The middle view is what the eyes actually see. The far left are open thoughts that aren't connected up yet."

Viewing the mirrors John can see that Sherlock is looking at John and talking to him in quiet tones. It is kind of strange for John to be watching Sherlock watching him.

"Where should we go next," John asks?

John is always so amazed each time he comes to the Palace. It is stimulus overload every time.

The images all around begin to fade and falter. Both men turn to find the whole of the space darkening; there are tiny cracks and sizzles from everywhere that couldn't possibly be electrical.

"What's happening Sherly?"

"It's the Old man. Something's happened to the old man. His brain is shutting down. Sherly grabbed John and they moved together through the Palace.

They are at the core now; a great lattice of organic and architectural phenomenon that went up, down and branched everywhere, like a tree that was boundless in nature.

"John, you have got to get out of here. The Palace is shutting down."

"How can that be?"

"Something or someone has control over the Old Man. You can't be here if it all goes sideways. You'll die in here." Sherly was wide eyed.

John knew that this is true danger. Sherly doesn't scare, at all.

**(-_-)**

John had a moment to think.

"Blue, Black Beard where are they Sherly? I have to know that you are all going to be safe."

"Blue should be here John. Black Beard could be anywhere. We're all rather independent souls, John. Let me take a quick look."

"Sherly, how much time do we have before it all goes down?"

"Thoughts aren't like time intervals John. A thought in here could last for an infinite time period. Or it could blink out in less than a millionth of a nanosecond. I'll be right back." He disappears and is back in less than a heartbeat. "Can't find him, I looked in all the usually places."

They are at the central core, the autonomic nervous system that keeps breath, heartbeat and other vital functions going even in unconscious states. A child carrier appears on John's chest and Blue appears in it. Comfortable within the carrier Blue is very wide eyed and silent.

"He's a bit worked up," Sherly said. He only gets clingy when he's a bit worked up. John this has only happened once before."

"When Sherlock was drugged?" John could remember the incident with Adler.

"Yes. I can't remember much till after the drug wore off." Sherly wasn't afraid to show his displeasure at that thought.

"Well, I have got to get out of here and back out there to help Sherlock. Will you and Blue be alright here?" John is terribly concerned now that all his Sherlock's are in danger.

"It's just a waiting game, John. Do what you can to help the Old Man. We'll wait here." Sherly took the child carrier over by merely thinking the bag and the baby onto himself. "Don't forget us, John."

It broke John's heart to leave them like this. He closed his right hand and said "treacle–canaries."

They all waited for the expansion. John's mind would move back into his reality and the Thought Palace would become a place to visit once again, but nothing happened.

"I'm not sure why this isn't working Sherly, I think to save Sherlock we're going to have to work things out from here."

Blue moved himself back to John and Sherly stepped closer.

"John, Blue thinks we're all going to die in here together."

John looked down at the infant in the child carrier on his chest. The wide open eyes that stared back at him were devastatingly disarming.

"Not on my watch, young man. Nothing is going to happen to any of you on my watch."

"Sherly, you said before that you all have the same thoughts at the same time, one mind. When all this shut down started you said Sherlock was losing consciousness? Wouldn't you all lose consciousness too?"

"That is odd, isn't it?" Shely is thinking about what John has said. "And you can't get out. The words treacle-canaries should have put you back into your own reality. You should be back with the Old Man. So possibly the shut down isn't due to the Old Man losing consciousness; maybe he's shut us in here on purpose, to protect us? But why would he do that? It seems illogical."

"Let's see if we can turn on the audio from the real world." Sherly says as he focuses on doing just that.

"If you are clever enough to be me, and I know you are, then you will find this thought soon enough. I'm okay. You need to stay right where you are, Old Man signing out." Sherlock's voice isn't under stress.

"Now what that hell does that mean? You'd think that Mister Brainiac could give us more information." John is totally frustrated.

"John, John!" Little Black Beard comes running from where ever he has been. He came and stood next to John taking his hand.

"What is it?" Sherly asked.

"Things are really strange in the library." Black Beard says.

"What do you mean strange," John asks?

"The books are talking."

"The books will talk if you want them too." Sherly looked miffed.

"They are talking to each other." Black Beard said.

John touched Sherly and they all advanced to the library.

It was darker than normal, the subdued lighting giving the endless rooms a haunted appearance. John lifted Black Beard and sat him on a table. The books were whispering. It was a soft background noise that spoke in different languages, about math, science, literature, forensics, law, about everything and anything. The sound was melodic and soothing.

"Okay," John said rather perturbed. "Everything here is generated by your brain, Sherlock. So I'm thinking that this is one of your damn experiments and I'm the mouse in the mouse trap. So you can just stop this playing around and tell me what is going on." John put his arms around Blue and stood waiting for an answer.

"See, I told you that you couldn't fool him for long, he's whip smart," Sherly said.

"Ah, John," Sherlock's voice came loud and clear from everywhere. "This has not been an experiment, but an emergency preparedness test. I wanted to see if something unforeseen happened in the real world, could your mind stay active and undamaged in the Thought Palace. You have shown me that I have little to worry about. You handled yourself superbly and everyone, all of my selves were very impressed by your abilities and your take-charge attitude. Know that at any time if I had detected a problem, I would have stopped immediately and rendered aid, but I didn't find any change in your thought patterns or in your physical body here with me. Everyone is okay and you were brilliant, John."

"So everyone here was in on this?" John looked at Blue, Black Beard and Sherly.

"Yes, we were all in on it. Though even for a baby, I think Blue gave an admiral performance. Black Beard wasn't sure he could pull it off, he was laughing a bit, so he stayed out until the last mystery."

John sighed and looked at the three Sherlock's in the room.

"I take it that there will be no more testing today?"

"Absolutely not," Sherlock replied.

"Then I think we all deserve a picnic by the lake. I did see a lake in here didn't I Sherly?"

Black Beard erupted in joyous shouts and disappeared apparently to make it to the lake. Blue stayed in his baby carrier on John's chest.

"Does Blue swim?" John asked Sherly.

"Like a fish," Sherly replied.

"Well, Sherlock you had better get in here and help out. I think I'm in for a rough and tumble play time with your younger selves."

Sherlock appeared in a tank top and trunks and a strikingly rakish straw hat that covered his dark curly hair completely.

"John, you never cease to amaze me," Sherlock commented as they touched briefly to travel together to the lake.

Sherly had arrived before them and had set up tents, chairs, tables and everything needed for a leisurely, fun time.

"And you, Sherlock," John looked down at Blue and out at Black Beard and Sherly, already playing together at the water's edge with super soakers, "you bring me a joy and a happiness that I have a hard time expressing in words."

Sherlock smiled at his only friend.


End file.
